A mobile cold storage unit valued at Rs. 2.2 million has been donated by the Galle Business Community to the National Hospital – Galle to assist in storing the bodies of victims recovered from the Iranian vessel incident off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

Hospital sources said the donation was made after authorities encountered difficulties accommodating the large number of recovered bodies due to limited mortuary capacity. Iranian authorities are expected to arrange the repatriation of the remains.

At present, the bodies of 84 persons recovered from the vessel are being stored in two mobile cold storage units at the hospital. One unit was provided by the Ministry of Health – Sri Lanka and the other by the Galle business community.

Post-mortem examinations on the 84 bodies brought to the hospital mortuary on the night of March 4 were completed following an inquest held on Thursday (5) after submissions by the Galle Harbour Police to the Galle Magistrate’s Court.

The inquest was conducted under the supervision of Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda and Additional Magistrate Maheshika Wijayatunga.

Following the inspection of the bodies, the magistrates directed the Judicial Medical Officer of the National Hospital in Galle to conduct post-mortem examinations.

Hospital sources said the examinations were carried out from yesterday afternoon until early this morning and have been completed. The Judicial Medical Officer’s office said the medical causes of death had been determined and that official certificates would be issued in due course.